Non-VegetarianLombarda cuisine Main Course

Missoltini con Polenta

Name: Missoltini con Polenta
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Lombarda
Ingredients: 8 whole missoltini; 300 g coarse yellow cornmeal; 1200 ml Water; 1 tsp Fine sea salt; 60 ml Extra virgin olive oil; 30 ml white wine vinegar; 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley; 1 clove Garlic

Sun-dried and salted Lake Como shad, swiftly grilled and doused with vinegar and oil, served over piping hot polenta.

🇮🇹Italy· Lombardy

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 45 min
Total: 60 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 480 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

8 whole missoltini — cured and sun-dried Lake Como shad, approx. 300g total
300 g coarse yellow cornmeal — polenta bramata
1200 ml Water — for boiling the polenta
1 tsp Fine sea salt — for seasoning the polenta water
60 ml Extra virgin olive oil — good quality
30 ml white wine vinegar — or red wine vinegar
2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley — finely chopped
1 clove Garlic — peeled and finely minced

Equipment

•Heavy-based saucepan
•Wooden spoon
•Cast-iron ridged grill pan
•Tongs
•Small mixing bowl

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 480 kcal
fat: 14 g
carbs: 56 g
fibre: 3 g
protein: 32 g
calories: 480 kcal

Instructions

1
Bring 1.2 litres of water to a boil with 1 tsp of fine sea salt in a heavy saucepan.
2
Slowly pour in the cornmeal in a steady stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps forming.
3
Lower the heat and simmer the polenta for 40 minutes, stirring frequently until thick and smooth.
4
Wipe the bought missoltini gently with a damp paper towel to remove excess surface salt.
5
Heat a cast-iron grill pan over high heat until smoking hot.
6
Whisk the olive oil, vinegar, chopped parsley, and minced garlic together in a small bowl.
7
Place the missoltini on the hot grill pan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes on each side until charred.
8
Transfer the hot grilled fish immediately to a warm plate and pour over the vinegar dressing.
9
Spoon the soft polenta onto plates and top each serving with two dressed missoltini.

Chef's tips

Missoltini are intensely savoury, so grill them very briefly to avoid drying them out. Splashing the vinegar while the fish is steaming hot ensures the flesh absorbs the acidity and balances the richness. Keep store-bought vacuum-packed missoltini refrigerated until ready to prepare.

Ingredient substitutions

missoltini → whole salted dried sardines or kippers
white wine vinegar → red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar

Storage

Keep leftover grilled missoltini and polenta in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Reheating

Reheat the polenta in a saucepan with a little hot water and warm the fish briefly in a hot dry skillet.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Overcooking the dried fish, which makes the delicate meat tough and unpleasantly bitter.
•Skipping the vinegar dressing, which is essential to cut through the intense saltiness of the fish.
•Leaving polenta unattended without stirring, allowing it to scorch against the pan base.

Serving suggestions

Serve immediately alongside steaming yellow polenta and a glass of crisp Lombard white wine.Pair with grilled slices of leftover polenta if preferred over soft polenta.